Institutional profile
INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE The Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture "are independent bodies dealing with public issuesic such as day to day running of companies and promoting and nurturing development in the local economy." (article 1, Law no.580, 29th December 1993).The Chamber's independence is mostly in its statutory authority: In the ability of local businessmen to elect (if allowed for by the constitution) the council members, in the election of the president and the board, in the opportunity to create autonomous regional unions, in the power to assist in arbitration and conciliation, and in the ability to put structures and infrastructures into place that will help the local economy.
Since Law 580, the laws have concerned themselves with decentralisation: the independence of the Chamber of Commerce is an integral part of its remit, meaning that certain responsibilities cannot be undertaken by the Region, Province or City Hall: those "duties carried out locally under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce Industry Crafts and Agriculture". However, certain responsibilities can be delegated to local institutions.
